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1945 Hambletonian

Titan Hanover: The Little Giant Short in stature but long on power
and speed, Arden Homestead Stables’ Titan Hanover stood out as
champion two- and three-year-old trotter. His mile in 2:00 at Lexington
as a two-year-old slashed two full seconds off the juvenile standard,
marking a milestone in harness horse history. Trainer Harry Pownall
deserved full credit for the career of the "Fightin’ Titan" as
he was a handful to break and train. Titan Hanover worked a mile at
Roosevelt Raceway in 2:07¼ before going to the races. At Old
Orchard, he split heats in his debut, tying for first with the fastest
mile in 2:08½. Next he took the National Stake, the Tompkins
Memorial at Goshen, the Harriman Challenge Trophy and the Horseman
Stake and the Reading Futurity in the mud at Trenton. In his Lexington
race he set a two-heat standard of 2:02¾, 2:02¾, timed
better than 2:02 one trip. Then came an assault on the clock, the quarter
in :29¼, the half cyclonic in :58¾, three-quarters in
1:29½, the mile achieved in 2:00. Again at three he was unbeaten,
winning the Stallion Stake and the Matron Stake with ease. The $51,046.96
Hambletonian was next and Titan Hanover delivered easily according
to expectations, though Axomite made it interesting for a few strides
nearing home the first trip. Titan Hanover was an outstanding performer
again at four and five, and retired to stud at Hanover Shoe Farm.

Hometown favorite Titan Hanover was the only horse ever barred in
the Hambletonian wagering pools, in spite of the fact that he started
as number 12, the fifth horse in the second tier, in the first heat.
A total of 19 horses started the first heat, in three tiers scoring
seven across. Despite the fact that Titan Hanover prevailed by only
half a length in the initial heat, he was still barred in the final.
The respect was well deserved as "Mighty Titan", by the end
of the year, held both the two-year-old and the three-year-old mile
as well as half-mile track world records. There were no five-eighths
mile tracks in the North America at the time. Titan Hanover was one
of nine winners that sired one or more Hambletonian winners: Hoot Mon
(1947); Speedy Scot (1963); Ayres (1964); Nevele Pride (1968); Speedy
Crown (1971); Super Bowl (1972); Green Speed (1977); and Speedy Somolli
(1978).